Former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl Linebacker Now Proud Owner of North Texas Chik-Fil-A

I always wondered what happened to Dat Nguyen. Looks like you can still see him work, but not where you would expect. 

If you have been a Cowboys fan for a few years, you probably remember former middle linebacker Dat Nguyen. In my opinion, incredibly underrated player. I felt he never got the national attention because he was playing the same position as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher at the time. You may be used to seeing Dat get those tackles on Sundays, but Dat now has Sundays off.

He is the proud owner of a Chik-Fil-A in Fort Worth’s Montgomery Plaza. He actually treats the business like a football team. “I am the coach. We have coordinators and we have players,” said Nguyen when talking about the staff he manages with a linebacker mentality. “It is no different than football. Everyone has a position they are responsible for.”

Dat actually grew up in the restaurant business. Growing up in Rockport, Texas, Nguyen’s family owned a Vietnamese restaurant, so customer service was engrained in him every bit as much as football. “When I played for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones was paying me, but it really was the fans that come and buy the tickets and the jerseys. It is the same thing serving customers," he said.

Dat is not one of these famous owners that buys the place and lets someone else handle everything else. He says he is there cleaning tables when necessary or getting behind the grill to make some chicken. He is a hands on owner and is there for his employees when he needs to be.

Best Places to Watch Sports in Wichita Falls